Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ge-Suk Yeo & Blaise Siwula: Segue

Ge-Suk Yeo & Blaise Siwula: Segue

By Jerry D'Souza
June 10, 2004
View read count

The human voice can be an instrument of beauty, yet how many times has it been abused in the name of art! History documents it and so do several among the current proliferation of singers to whom idolatry in North America adds its own seal of proof. That certainly is not the devilment for singer Ge-Suk Yeo, who was trained in opera. She has a fine sense of control and never loses the moment. There is an ocean of calm flowing across much of her music that brings in a tranquil air, stirred by an occasional tempest which lends a fine balance.

Yeo has the perfect complement in multi-instrumentalist Blaise Siwula. His dynamics add to the temper of the music, but more importantly each knows where the other is going and so work together in seamless weave. This trait is manifested right from the gentle “Wind,” whose stronger element is the voice of Yeo, a warm force that fans the luminosity of the flute. She is in a more emphatic operatic mode on “Echo,” which gives Siwula the opening to blow quick flourishes, bend a few notes and tongue-slap his alto.

The bansuri (which means flute in Hindi) is an instrument that is used primarily in the folk and classical music of India. Siwula has a feel for its texture and evokes an appropriate mood of “Calm”; he is the dominant voice here. Contrast comes in the edgier “Friends”; Yeo has her operatic declarations going, but she also scats while Siwula not only gets into a deeper, harder groove, he adds some melodic incursions as well.

Visit Cappuccino on the web.

Track Listing

Wind; Echo; Calm; Waterfall; Bubble; Freaky; Friends; Silent Goodbye

Personnel

Ge-Suk Yeo

Album information

Title: Segue | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Unknown label

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The Cry of My People
< Previous

Home Safely
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.